Trial and Error
by samararh3
Summary: This fic follows the events that occur before, during and after Yakone's trial from the flashback of Legend of Korra: Book 1. The story mostly follows Toph, Lin, and Aang, but there are plenty of other characters as well. Leave COMMENTS please! Also, make sure to stick around for Part 3 and on. That's when it starts getting serious.
1. Chapter 1

Trial and Error

Toph and her 8-year-old daughter Lin stepped onto the rocky edge of Air Temple Island on the side that faced Republic City. She turned, ready to sink the long rock bridge that served as their path from city to island, and then hesitated.

"Lin, come here." She said and stepped over to the side.

"What?" She asked.

"Sink the bridge." Toph said and pointed at the formation which suddenly looked very long to her daughter.

"I can't do that." She responded with disbelief.

"Sure you can."  
"But—it's too big."

Toph shrugged. "Fine, if you say so." She said and moved to get into position.

"No! Wait—I'll try it." Lin said reluctantly, not wanting to give up a challenge.

Toph smiled and stood back, crossing her arms. "Go for it, kid."

Lin stepped up and got into her horse stance.

"Wider." Toph criticized, to which Lin responded by scooting her feet out a little more. She closed her eyes, trying to feel the earth, the vibrations, and the power of her bending. She inhaled in through her nose and out through her mouth, calming herself.

"Anytime now. You know the motion." Toph continued impatiently.

Lin exhaled again and then swiftly brought down her hands, palms down, toward the ground beneath her. "Ah!" Lin voiced as she bent herself into a 3 foot deep hole.

Toph laughed and shook her head. "Come on, get out of there."

"Can we go now?" Lin said as she crawled out of the hole she made, her cheeks pink from embarrassment.

"No. Try again." Toph said unyielding. "You can do it, just focus."

Lin closed her eyes and started controlling her breathing again, feeling the earth, focusing on the bridge, visualizing what she needed to happen. Again, she precisely made the motion, a loud sound following, along with the splashing of water. She opened her eyes, smiling wide, excited to see her accomplishment, but then as she looked down, her face sank. She only managed to bend a few feet into the water not even impacting the rest of the bridge. The little earthbender sighed sadly and started walking toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Toph asked. "That was good!"

"No it wasn't! That's not what's supposed to happen." Lin said stopping in her tracks and turning back toward her mom.

"Well, no, but it's a start."

"Hmph." Lin huffed and crossed her arms and watched as her mom carried out the task she was too inexperienced to accomplish.

"Oh come on," Toph said feeling her daughter's flustered heartbeat. "You'll be able to do it eventually." She walked toward the path, but Lin just stood in that same spot. "Hurry up, boog. I don't have all day."

After a few moments, Lin ran up to her mom's side and spoke. "Well, _eventually_ I'll just be better than you."

"Oh really? _I'm_ the greatest earthbender in the _world_. How are you going to manage that?" Toph asked through a chuckle.

"Easy. I'll be the greatest earthbender in the _universe_." She said, sticking her nose in the air.

"That'll be the day." Toph said smiling, and pulled Lin close to her as they walked.

As the two of them reached the top of the stairs, Toph paused for a moment, surveying the island from the ground beneath her.

"Twinkle Toes and Junior are in the meditation pavilion. Let's go bother em." Toph suggested as Lin snickered along with her.

Quietly, they approached the pavilion where Aang and his youngest son, Tenzin meditated together silently. For a 9-year-old boy, Tenzin really seemed to grasp the idea more than his other siblings, who were nowhere to be found. Toph and Lin attempted to tiptoe around toward the bushes, but their steps were not quite as quiet as they thought.

Aang opened his eyes. "And you still tease _me_ for being light on my feet." He said calmly and placed his hands on his knees. Tenzin opened up as well and turned around to see Lin. He stood with a swirl of air and waved.

Lin stuck her tongue out in his direction receiving a disgruntled harrumph in return.

"Hey, I might not be sneaky like you, but just remember, you still can't bend metal, _twinkle toes_." She teased, obviously over exhausting this comeback.

Aang sighed and stood; she _seriously_ needed to stop calling him that. "You always have to pull one over on me, don't you?"

"When you actually manage to one-up me, I'll stop teasing."

Aang shook his head, smiling, but after a moment, looked at her seriously. She felt the difference in his demeanor and complied. "Well, are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Aang said and walked forward with Toph. "You?"

"Ready when you are." She said as she exhaled.

"Can we go play now?" Lin asked shooting a smile at her friend.

Aang opened his mouth to speak, but Toph beat him to the punch. "Not yet, boog. Come on." She said and waved for them to follow.

Lin and Tenzin followed, but lagged behind.

"Where are they going?" Tenzin whispered to Lin as he looked forward at his dad talking to his Aunt Toph. "Mom, Dad and Kya never tell me anything."

"To City Hall."

"Why?"

"Mom said that they're having a trial for a dangerous criminal today. My mom, uncle Sokka, and the whole police force is going to be there. I don't know why your dad's going though."

"Well, he _is_ the Avatar."

"So? What is he going to do, sit there? My mom has everything under control."

"Well _my_ dad has mastered all four elements."

"So what? My _mom_ can still kick your dad's butt. Like mother, like daughter." She laughed and punched Tenzin in the arm.

"Ow." He squinted his eyes and rubbed the spot with his hand.

"You're nervous." Toph said solemnly to Aang. "I can feel it."

"You're right. But, so are you."

"Why—" She scoffed. "Why would you say that?

"It's alright. I want to say goodbye to them too before we leave too..."

Toph was silent for a few moments, her face straight. "Can't be too sure, you know…?"

"Yeah, I know…" Aang responded and then continued walking quietly the rest of the way to the main gate. He took out his bison whistle and blew it, then turned as he saw Katara, Bumi, and Kya running toward them from the main house. Toph laughed nervously as Aang's family surrounded him; were they really that worried about the possible outcomes of this day?

Appa groaned in the air and then landed behind Toph. She stroked his nose and smiled half-heartedly.

"I thought you didn't like Appa." Lin said as she walked over to give the giant sky bison a hug.

"Oh, he's an old friend." Toph said then kneeled down to her baby's level wanting to say something meaningful, but found herself at a loss for words. She couldn't bring herself to worry about the things that could happen, so she just hugged her daughter tight. "I'll see you tonight, okay? We might get back a little late, so be good for Auntie Katara."

"Okay." Little Lin said, hugging back.

Toph pulled away and did her best to look directly into Lin's eyes. "I love you."

"Love you too, mom." She said and lightly punched her mom's shoulder. Toph laughed and kissed her on the forehead.

"Be careful." Katara said as she pulled away from her husband as his children also uttered their goodbyes. Toph climbed the giant creature and settled into the saddle on his back as Aang flew up and took the reins.

"I love you sweetie." Katara said loudly.

"Oooooogie!" Toph said, mostly to make the kids laugh, which they did.

"Appa, yip yip." Aang said softly and scratched the top of the bison's furry head. Soon enough, they took off soaring away from the island not looking back.

"Breaks your heart, doesn't it?" Toph said with her arms crossed.

"Tell me about it." Aang responded, but then spent the rest of the trip to Republic City in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Trial and Error Pt 2

Toph pushed open the large doors of City Hall and walked purposefully down the aisle. People were chatting and milling around in the seating area, a few more filtering in behind her as she walked. She made her way to the head of the room where the council's large half-circle table and chairs resided, approaching the lone councilman in the center gathering his papers into a neat pile.

"Councilman Sokka." Toph said addressing him professionally as she bowed to which he returned the favor. "Are you ready for us, sir?"

"Yes, I'll retrieve the other council members." He said, and then turned out to the crowd. "If everyone would please take your seats, we will begin momentarily."

"Sokka," Toph whispered and took a step forward. "I'll never get used to calling you 'sir'." A small smile appeared on her face lightening the mood a little.

"No kidding, _Chief_." He joked sort of chuckling.

"Alright, well good luck." She said. "We've got him this time."

"I'll do the best I can." Sokka responded as he left for the conference room on the side of the building.

Toph returned to the lobby where Aang, the prosecution, Yakone in handcuffs, his lawyer, and her officers stood waiting. "They're ready for us now." She said simply and took her position in front of the accused to escort him inside. Aang moved to go inside, but his gaze lingered behind on Yakone who subsequently smiled in a subtly mischievous manner. He took a seat in the front directly behind the defense's desk, so in case anything went wrong he would be right there to act if needed. The councilmen and women filed out into the courthouse, everyone took their seats, and the trial commenced. There was no turning back now…

* * *

"I got you Tenzin!" Lin yelled as she ran over to the spot where her friend was hiding.

"Aw! How'd you find me so fast?" He said and stood up from behind a boulder and some green brush.

"I felt it! It was kinda blurry, but I felt your feet when I got closer."Lin said like it was no big deal.

"Well, that's not fair. How am I supposed to win if you can sense me through the ground?" He asked, giving her a look.

"Hey, it's exactly the same as you _air_bending yourself off the ground or hiding on top of a tree." She said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Alright, fair enough." He responded with a sigh. "Well, what do you want to do now?"

"Why? You don't want to lose again at hide and seek?" She joked with a smirk.

"Not really." He said, unenthused

"Fine…" Lin sighed, not pleased that she wouldn't be able to put him in his place again. "Come on." She said and started walking toward the main gate.

"Where are we going?"

"I want to explore the ledge path around the island."

"Lin! That's dangerous. We aren't allowed to—"

"Oh, quit being such a momma's boy, Tenzin. It'll be fun." She stated, gaining a moment of silence between them. Tenzin sighed as he thought about the situation.

"Alright… We can go. But on one condition." He said and paused. "_I_ get to be the leader."

"No way!"

As the two of them made their way to the clearing in front of the temple arguing about whether or not Tenzin could lead the way, Katara rounded the corner and spotted them.

"Hey kids. What are you two up to?" Katara asked and started approaching them.

"Not a word, Tenzin." Lin said through the clenched teeth of her fake smile.

"Nothing." Tenzin said quickly and shifted his glance to Lin.

"Well, you are most certainly doing something." She said and then noticed the innocence of Lin's eyes knowing that whenever Lin tried to act innocent, she was definitely up to something.

"Well," Lin began. "We were going to go swimming, but its cold outside, so we can't really do that, so we decided to play with the sky bison instead."

"Yeah." Tenzin interjected and nodded along with her story.

"Well, okay, just be careful." Katara said, not buying this scheme of theirs. "Tenzin, you're in charge okay? Make sure to look after your friend. And make sure you're back in time for lunch."

Lin crossed her arms as Tenzin smirked deviously in her direction.

"Go on, now. Have fun."

"Thanks mom." Tenzin responded as Lin walked off in the direction they were previously traveling.

Tenzin ran to catch up and laughed as he reached her side.

"Mom says I'm the boss of you." He teased in a sing-song type of pattern.

"Can it, airhead. Just because you're the boss doesn't mean you can tell me what to do."

"Actually, that's exactly what it means." He snickered, but abruptly shut up when Lin punched him hard on the shoulder. They walked the rest of the way to the path in silence.

* * *

"Yakone has ruled Republic City's criminal empire for years, yet he has always managed to stay out of the law's reach until now. You will hear testimony from dozens of his victims and they will tell you Yakone has maintained his grip on the underworld by using an ability that has been illegal for decades—_bloodbending_." Jun, the prosecutor, said cryptically as she gave her opening statement. "This man is being charged with crimes against innocent citizens, exploitation, fraud, violence, and his utilization of bloodbending to control and torture his victims. Today, a few brave souls came forth to testify against this man and unveil exactly what he has put each of them through. We will begin with calling Xin to the stand."

Escorted inside by Chief Beifong, A rather scrawny old man with a twitch approached the stand. His expression captured contempt and hatred as he stared daggers at Yakone who seemed to have no interest at all.

"You may proceed." Councilman Sokka stated.

"Please state your name." Jun began.

"Xin." He said flatly, his voice gravely and disgruntled.

"Now tell us Xin, do you recognize this man?" She said, pointing to Yakone.

"Yes." He responded in the same tone.

"If you would be so kind, could you tell the court and the council what you wrote in your statement?"

"Gladly. — My family owns Xin and Sons Mechanic. We can fix anything. You name it, we fix it. — Anyway… It was—uh…Tuesday a few years ago. My oldest son, Han and I were conducting business as normal in Dragon Flats Borough at the site of what we didn't know at the time was one of the fronts for the Triads. We walked inside of the warehouse with our equipment, then the door closed behind us and the whole room was dark as night. A man—a firebender appeared in the corner, holding a flame in his hand. I yelled, I demanded to know what was going on, but he didn't say nothin'… I heard footsteps and a figure came out of a side door on the other side of the room away from us. "So…" He says, "You're son's got himself mixed up with gambling" He says… I—I told him we weren't involved in none of that and that we were clean with clean records! He said that my youngest owed some of his guys some money and that I needed to pay them back or else. I wouldn't cooperate, so's he started controlling me…"

"If you could tell the council what it felt like."

"It felt like my body was moving despite what my brain was sayin'. I couldn't control my limbs, I felt like I was struggling to breathe—"

"Alright, go on." Jun interrupted, seeing that talking about it was bothering him.

"Anyways, I told him to let us go; that he couldn't get me to cooperate even if he tortured me to death. That's when he let me go and began to torture my son. I got on my knees and begged, but he would not quit until I agreed to his terms. Han—he was never the same after that… He died last year…"

"We're so sorry to hear that. One more question for the court. Was it on or near the full moon the day that you speak of?

"No. It was 15 days away. I couldn't believe it myself."

"That is all your honors."

Everyone was shocked, including the council who wrote furiously on their papers.

"May I have the floor, your honors?" Yakone's lawyer asked and stood behind their desk.

"The floor is yours."

"Xin, is it?" He asked, stepping forward to the stand. "Could you tell the court what happened on the day of the fall equinox last year?

Fear spread across his face. "How did you know about that?" He whispered.

"Please tell us Xin, how you attempted to _kill_ my client and his colleagues in the first degree."

"I—I don't know what—"

"So, you deny that you came to confront my client in his quarters—"

"Of course I deny—"

"And you ran into one of his employees who restricted you."

"No!"

"You grabbed a wrench and struck his head—"

"I went to have a conversation! Nobody was s'posed to get hurt!" Xin yelled and then realized what he had said. The whole room seemed to gasp.

"No more questions your honors." The lawyer smiled slyly then returned to his desk leaving everyone muttering in confusion.

"Silence! Everyone, please contain your comments. Chief Beifong, take the witness into custody where he will be submitted for further questioning." Sokka said then turned back to his papers. "Let's move on."

Aang shook his head; it was going to be a long day…

Each witness willing to confront Yakone went up to the stand one by one and gave their testimonies. Every bloodbending victim, no matter how much dirt the Lawyer could pull out on them, could constitute one fact; Yakone used bloodbending each time when the moon was not in its full phase. The only chance the prosecution had to actually convict Yakone, despite his well-known other crimes, was the overwhelming amount of evidence and testimonies that suggested that he was indeed the man who committed the heinous and deplorable acts he was being accused of.

After all of the witnesses finished and the interrogations were over, the defense stood for a final closing statement. Yakone stayed seated in the same fixed position with a dark smile that he had kept during the entire trial.

"The prosecution's entire case is built upon the make-believe notion that my client is able to bloodbend at will at any time on any day. I remind the council that bloodbending is an incredibly rare skill and it can only be performed during the full moon. Yet, the witnesses will claim that my client used bloodbending every _other_ time _except_ during the full moon. It would be a mockery of justice to convict a man of a crime that is _impossible_ to commit." Yakone's lawyer said then made his way back to their desk. "The defense rests your honors."

* * *

"— and then, Bumi called her a 'crazy controlling beaver-monkey'." Tenzin said continuing with a story as the two of them scooted along a thin ledge on the side of the island, their backs sliding along the smooth rock, the two of them very high above the water and boulders below. Lin laughed a little, looking down before she shuffled sideways.

"So, Kya bent all the water out of the pond and froze him to the side of the temple. It was great! All she did was say 'that'll teach him' then she walked away."

"Ha! Bumi should know better by now."

"Yeah, I never even mess with her and I know not to mess with her."

They continued along the ridge, coming up on a rocky plateau jutting out from the mountainside with a large moon-shaped hole carved out of it by the sea. .

"Uh oh." Lin said and stopped moving. "The path is broken here."

"Oh well…" Tenzin said after a moment. "I guess it's about time to get back. I'm getting hungry anyway."

"No! We're not even half way!" She complained, and turned her head to the other side to look at him.

"We could probably jump to the rocks. It's not _that_ far." She focused her attention again on the ridge.

"Huh. Far enough." He huffed. "Come on, Lin, let's just go back."

"No." She said sternly. "Maybe I can bend it out. You know, so we can get across."

Tenzin sighed with exasperation. She _never _listened to him unless she absolutely had to.

"I—I mean, I guess you can give it a shot. Just be careful."

Lin smiled and got into her horse stance, or, at least what she could manage with what little space she had.

"Okay," She muttered to herself. "Just breathe—and—" Lin moved her fist out and the stone shifted, but nothing happened in particular. "Urgh!" She grunted and stomped. "Why can't I do it?!—I'm trying again." She said and moved back into her stance a little too quickly her right foot landing too close to the edge. The little earthbender gasped as she lost her balance then screamed when she realized she was really going to fall. Tenzin reached out but if he leaned forward too much he would be falling too.

"Lin!" He yelled his heart pounding as he watched her slip off the ridge. He closed his eyes wishing that this was all a dream and that he could just wake up. When he opened them, reality still prevailed, but thankfully, she grabbed a vine on the edge and dangled off the side breathing heavily.

"Help!" She shouted and looked up at him, her eyes wide. Tenzin kneeled down and tried to pull her up, but it was no use; he was not strong enough to pick her up from that angle.

"Just hold on and don't look down!" He said, his face getting serious as he thought of a plan. He jumped, using the resistance of the air to his advantage, and flew down to a group of sharp rocks below, jumping on the tips like he had to do on the wooden posts when he played airball.

"Tenzin!" She said nervously and glanced down.

"Just hang on!" He yelled from below, hopping from rock to rock, needing to get into the right position.

"I—AH!—I can't hang on much longer!" She screamed as her sweaty hands tried desperately to cling on to the vine and the ledge. Tenzin looked up, finally finding the spot under her and off to the side a little, so that if he executed his plan correctly, they would land on the plateau.

Lin looked up at the vine as she heard a ripping sound, then all of a sudden it broke and she was falling and screaming. Tenzin sprung up into the air, using his feet to airbend enough beneath him to keep his momentum. He grabbed onto her with a thud in mid air and with one last push from his hand, bent enough wind behind them to propel their bodies over to the plateau. They both looked ahead, yelling as they neared the edge, hoping that they would clear it and land safely on top. All too soon, they hit the rocky surface, rolling and sliding until they finally became still, their lungs gasping for breath.

Tenzin was the first to get up. "Lin! Are you alright?!" He yelled and crawled over to Lin, who was lying on her side. He rolled her onto her back and exhaled. Her eyes were open wide, her chest heaved up and down, she had a few scrapes, but she was fine. He helped her sit up and they sat in silence for a minute then looked at eachother. Somehow, probably from coming down from the adrenaline and shock, the two of them stared at one another then burst out laughing.

"Wow!" Lin said through her laughter. "We almost DIED!"

"I know—why—why are we laughing?"

"I—don't—know!"

It took a few minutes to let it all out, but once their stomachs were aching, they collected themselves and looked over the side.

"Wow." Lin exhaled, still stifling a laugh. "I can't believe that just happened."

"Me neither." He said and sat back down.

"Well, I think that's enough excitement for one day. How about lunch? I'm starving." She said and stood then walked over toward the path.

"What? No, 'thanks for saving my life, Tenzin'?" He asked and followed her.

"Thanks for saving me, Tenzin." She said in a mocking tone, acting very unappreciative.

"You know, if you had just listened to me, I wouldn't have even _had_ to save you."

"Would you just shut up so I can concentrate!?" Lin exclaimed and got into her horse stance once more, this time given the proper space. She moved her fits up then forward and a rock formation jutted out from the plateau creating a path to the ridge.

"We are _not_ doing that again." Tenzin said and followed her back to the top of the island, rubbing the soon-to-be bruises all the way.

* * *

"We find Yakone guilty of all charges and sentence him to life in prison." Sokka announced, his loud voice filling the interior of the entire courthouse.

Yakone's lawyer crumpled up his papers and violently threw them in frustration. Aang watched from his seat behind their table, his face stern as everyone else began muttering to each other. He was not convinced this was over, not yet… Yakone stood slowly and lingered for a moment calmly, but then his eyes widened and a dark power filled his being. All of a sudden Sokka yelled as he lost control of his body and it distorted to a puppet-like position; Yakone was bloodbending him. The other four council members started going down as well, so Toph immediately came to their aid, bending one of her metal cables forward to restrain him, but was not quick enough. The cable went limp and fell to the floor as Toph also lost control of her functions; she couldn't think, couldn't focus; all she could perceive was the uncontrollable shaking of her body and the sound of people moaning in pain. Yakone had taken everyone in the courthouse under his grip, laughing maniacally with a glance behind him where Aang was frozen in his last position, his outstretched hand reaching for the man in front of him from some failed attempt to stop him.

Sokka managed to turn his head ever so slightly to look at Toph on the other side of the room, not unable to move, straining to breathe. Toph's internal intensity increased as her feet were lifted off the ground and her body was manipulated in the air; now not only was she clinging onto control, but she could not longer "see" anything. Yakone forced her body back to one of her officers who had a ring of keys on his belt; He made her grip the keys then hover forward to him where she unwillingly unlocked his handcuffs. The addition of his free hands enhanced his power greatly to the point where he was ready to make his escape. All at once, the intensity skyrocketed to the point where it was too much to bear—and then everything went black…


	3. Chapter 3

Trial and Error Pt 3

Toph groaned quietly as she began to shift her body involuntarily out of gaining consciousness.

"Toph?" Sokka's familiar voice uttered softly. "Toph, are you alright?"

She was disoriented, light-headed, and felt like her limbs were locked in place. She tried to open her eyes, but it took too much effort to keep the lids from falling again so she let them.

"S—Sokka?" She managed in a meek, straining voice.

"Yes." He responded in a comforting tone and smiled, so relieved that she was finally waking up. She was lying on her back on the cold, stone floor of the courthouse, her head resting on a small hospital pillow; Sokka sat beside her.

"Sokka—are—are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"But—Yakone—he…" she started, then exhaled, changing thoughts. "What about Aang? Is everyone—"

"Shh…" Sokka hushed as he brushed her hair away from a bandage on her forehead.

"But I—I need to—" She started and tried to sit up but found that her body did not have the strength to support itself against Sokka's hands lightly restraining it. "Let me go."

"No, the doctors say you need to rest."

"Doctors? How long was I out anyway?" She asked, her brain actually tuning in for the first time since she woke up. "Why do I need a doctor? I'm sure I'm fine."

"Toph, you can hardly move and you've been unconscious for two hours." Sokka responded unenthusiastically.

"So?"

"_So_, I think they would know. Besides, everything is under control."

"Yakone?" She asked as she managed to pool enough energy to bring her hand to her throbbing head.

"He's under guard in the police station."

"But—how?"

"The medics will be back shortly from the hospital to get you, but I guess I have time to tell you what happened." He said and recalled the events that transpired only a few hours prior.

* * *

Sokka groaned as he awoke twisted up in an uncomfortable position on the floor behind the council's large desk. Remembering what had happened before he went down he quickly pushed up using the strength of the wooden desk to become steady then brought his hands to his pounding head. There were quiet sounds in the courthouse, but he had yet to look around due to having to soothe his temples. When he opened his eyes, he inhaled sharply; all he could see were bodies—still, unresponsive bodies, and a few others who began to stir. He looked to his side where his fellow council members were unconscious then looked out again, his heart pounding as he saw his friend crumpled up on the ground.

"Toph." He voiced under his breath then staggered over to her, still a little weak from before. He kneeled down beside her and gently rolled her onto her back. Her hand flopped down and she did not as much as twitch. "Toph?" Sokka stroked the side of her face then noticed a string of blood drying on her forehead. He gasped and his heart began to pound as he lifted her upper body into his arms; because he was worried about what he might discover, Sokka, almost reluctantly, brought two fingers to her neck to check for a pulse. He took a deep breath to calm himself enough so he would be able to feel it; then as the beating of his own heart slowed, he felt a faintly pulsating vein indicating that she was, thankfully, alive. He heaved a relieved sigh and smiled inadvertently as he held her close, unbelievably glad that she was okay. He looked to his left at the seating area where a few people had awoken and were standing, unsure of what to do. Sokka gently laid her back down on the floor and stood as well.

"Everyone, listen up." He said loud enough for the five or so people to hear. "Please remain inside of the courthouse until further notice; we will require a statement from you before you leave. I am going to send for help. While we wait for the authorities and physicians to arrive, I need you all to check on the others around you; check their pulse, their breath, anything that will give an indication of life." He paused as he noticed the empty spot where Aang was sitting during the trial. "Make sure everyone is accounted for and spread the word to the others as they come to. If you run into any problems, report immediately to me, alright?" Each person murmured their "yes sir"'s and began working. "Thank you for your cooperation." He hurried to the row where Aang had been and looked to see if he was on the floor but was disappointed to find that he was missing in action. Where could he be?

Just as Sokka ran over toward the offices to send a message to the police station, he heard the large courthouse door open. He spun around and for the second time, sighed from relief.

"Aang!" He shouted and hurried to his friend, who looked faint and white as a ghost.

"Are you okay, bud?" He asked as he reached him. Aang gripped Sokka's shoulder to steady himself and then nodded.

"Yeah, I think so." He responded softly. "You seem fine."

"Yeah, I'm okay." He said reassuringly, concerned about his friend. "You look like you need to sit down. Here..." Sokka helped Aang to the nearest bench and leaned down to speak with him. "I'll be right back. I need to call—"

"It's already taken care of." Aang said, beating him to the punch. "The medics and officers will be here shortly."

"Well that makes things easier, but how—where did you—"

"I went after Yakone…" Aang interrupted again. "He tried to get away in someone's carriage, but I stopped him. He—he almost killed me…" He paused, recalling how terrifying it was. "I—owe my life to my past lives—if that even makes sense… I was able to secure him—

and then I took his bending away." He continued quietly.

Sokka remained quiet and comfortingly patted Aang's back; there was nothing that needed to be said; he knew that…

"Luckily, Toph had backup patrolling the area, so as soon as it happened, they were there, ready to apprehend him and take him _back_ to prison where he belongs… They're waiting for my orders outside. I just came to make sure you or—_someone _had things under control here."

"We do, but maybe you should let the officers handle that scumbag."

"No, no. I'm fine. I just needed to sit for a moment and collect my thoughts before I had to explain everything to our _Chief_ and process _him_ again." He said then stood along with Sokka. "Where is Toph anyway?"

Sokka pointed at her body lying on the floor in the same position in which he left her.

"Oh no… Is she…?" Aang proceeded cautiously as they approached her.

"She's unconscious. I think she hit her head…"

"But she's breathing, that's what's important…"

"Yes but—she needs a doctor."

"Of course." Aang was quiet for a moment then exhaled loudly. "I'll be back in a while. Like I said, I have doctors on the way. Let me know the moment she wakes up. In the mean time, you know what to do." Aang said quickly then moved to leave.

"Are you sure you don't need to—"

"I'm fine, Sokka. I'll see you later."

* * *

"I've been helping out here since. After everyone was healed and accounted for, they gave their statements and left. You were the only one who had not yet awoken."

"Well doesn't that make me feel special?" She said sarcastically. "So, where's Twinkle-Toes now?"

"Last I heard Aang was still at the station tying up loose ends. He should be back soon."

Toph nodded then tried to lift her body off the ground again with no luck.

"I feel so _strange._" She felt so weak, so helpless, but couldn't figure out why right away. She managed to move her leg up so her foot could caress the stone floor and tell her what was going on in the room. Suddenly she froze, her eyes widening. Her heart began to race, the adrenaline fueling just enough energy for her to sit up. She placed both hands and her other foot on the stone as well, but exhaled sharply as a wave of terror crashed over her.

"Sokka—" She began, her voice shaky. "I can't see."


	4. Chapter 4

Trial and Error Part 4

"I can't see." Toph said again a little louder.

Sokka huffed a laugh. "I know."

"No, I can't—I can't see—the way_ I_ see." She said quiet and in shock.

"You—you can't be serious." He responded as his smile faded.

"Of course I'm serious!" She said shrilly and slammed her hands on the ground.

"What are you saying?"

Toph's brow was furrowed in concentration. She closed her eyes hard and felt the stone beneath her, it was unfamiliar and she was unable to sense it like she could before. She made a motion, then another, and another but nothing happened, nothing shifted; the earth was silent.

"I can't bend." She said panting, her breathlessness affecting her speech.

"But— that's not possible—"

"No, no, no, NO!" She continued to make motions to no avail until Sokka placed a hand on her shoulder. She was still for a brief moment, but began hyper-ventilating as she attempted anything she could think of to move the smallest bit of metal or earth.

"Toph, you need to calm down!" He said and tried to restrain her.

"Get away from me!" She said and somehow had the strength to push him off of her.

"We can't figure this out if you don't relax!" He said and kneeled in front of her again.

"There's nothing to figure out! I can't—URGH!" She punched the floor, unbelievably frustrated and confused as to how this happened to her. She winced as she lifted her fist where thin streams of blood tricked off her knuckles. The pain mentally distracted her for the time being as she took the time to catch her breath. A silence passed.

"We need to get you to a doctor." He said in a very low and careful voice.

"No. I'm fine." She retorted quick and dismissive.

"Obviously not. Look, I can't help you if—"

"Just leave me alone." She said, her half-open blind eyes staring into empty space. She sat there for a moment in the quiet courthouse her eyes stinging with the hopelessness she couldn't escape. She bowed her head and was unable to control the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

Sokka looked at her sympathetically, his face drooping into a frown. He scooted forward, so she was directly in front of him and took her in his arms. She did not object; she sunk down, losing all of the will that she had before. He placed one hand on the back of her head as she let her face disappear into his shoulder to cry.

"Shh… It's going to be okay." He said softly and gave her body a reassuring squeeze.

Sokka's head turned rapidly as he heard footsteps echoing off the courthouse walls. Aang had come back, looking exhausted, the weight of this day hanging over him.

"What's going on?" Aang asked, concerned as he noticed Toph crying and the grim look on his friend's face.

"I— I don't know. It seems that she can't—" Sokka stammered and stopped abruptly, not exactly sure how to explain.

"I'm fine." She said and pulled away, wiping her eyes with her bleeding hand.

"She said she can't bend." He said quickly then looked back at Toph.

With a sense of urgency, Aang hurried toward them and knelt by her side. "But—how could this have happened? It's impossible—"

"That's what I said, but I can't figure it out."

"Where are the medics? Maybe they can try to—"

"Would you guys just buzz off?!" She shouted and swung her arms to the side, nearly punching Sokka in the face.

"Woah! Watch it." He said as he dodged her fist. She lifted her head and her face was angry. Aang just looked at him with disbelief that he was actually that oblivious. "Spirits… Sorry…" He responded, feeling like an idiot.

Her chest began heaving again, and for the third time she focused intently on her movements and feeling the earth but when nothing happened she slapped the ground hard with a grunt. "I can't—UGH!"

Aang and Sokka backed away and stood, not wanting to get in her way as she began to have an unprecedented fit.

"She's not handling this well, is she?" Sokka said quietly as they watched her.

"We need to get her out of here." He said shaking his head.

"I don't know what to do… Any ideas?"

"Yeah. I'll take this one." Aang said and patted Sokka on the back then got down to her level again. "Toph," He began calmly and very slow. "You need to relax.

After a few moments she stopped being frantic and listened to his words.

"Take deep breaths, okay? In through your nose and out through your mouth."

Without the mindset to fight back she obeyed and steadied her breath.

"I know you're scared, but you have to be calm so we can figure this out, okay?"

Toph sat in silence for a moment and breathed in then exhaled for a long time until she came to her senses. "What happened to me?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"Toph, we need to get you to the hospital." Aang said softly, purposefully ignoring her question.

"No. No hospitals."

"Then we'll take you to Katara."

Toph nodded hesitantly at first, then thought about it; of course she needed to go to Katara. She'd be able to heal her, do whatever she had to in order to fix this problem. "Okay."

"I'll carry you if you actually let me near you." Sokka said, trying to make the situation a little lighter as he moved forward to help her up.

"No. I'm fine." She said sternly in an attempt to recover whatever dignity was lost in the last 10 minutes. She felt around for the defendant's wooden desk that she fell near and grabbed onto the top edge. She pulled herself up; her uniform felt so heavy and her body was so weak that she could barely make it. As she stood up all the way, her knees buckled, but she managed to grab the table to steady herself, then stand entirely straight. "Alright, let's go."

The guys exchanged a glance then nodded.

"Sure." Aang said without much conviction and turned to leave, shaking his head.

Toph took a single step forward immediately bringing her hand to her head. Her eyes rolled back and a loud sigh escaped from her lips as she lost consciousness again. Aang turned around quickly, seeing her begin to fall and Sokka rushing forward to catch her. Acting fast, he bent a swirl of air beneath her body, keeping her off the ground just long enough for Sokka to get his arms under her legs and back. Toph fell limp into his arms as the wind wafted away.

"We still got it." Sokka said after a moment and repositioned himself to pick her up.

Aang sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Come on."

Sokka stood, Toph safely nuzzled next to his body as he walked over to Aang.

"You got her?" Aang asked.

"Yeah, I've got her." Sokka said with a light smile as he looked down at her peaceful face and carried her out of the courthouse.


	5. Chapter 5

Trial and Error Pt 5

They flew for a while on Appa without saying anything, the silence and the breeze off the bay reassuring after the unfortunate day they just muddled through. Toph was still passed out and lying against the cushion wall of the saddle; Sokka sat next to her wringing his hands nervously, his elbows resting on his knees. Aang was deep in thought for a while at the reigns between Appa's neck and head; it had been a long day…yet it still wasn't over. One of his closest friends and earthbending teacher, the Chief of Police, the esteemed Toph Beifong, was down for the count and they had no idea if this lapse of no earthbending was legitimate or not. She always seemed so unmovable and sturdy, like nothing or no one could ever beat her; like a rock… But now all of a sudden, she was nearly too weak to stand, too weak to walk and there was nothing they could do except wait. It all happened so fast; all Aang kept seeing when he closed his tired eyes were flash frames from the day; the council, Yakone's smug grin, his laughter, Toph's body contorted to his will then lying lifeless on the ground, her face, streaming with tears as he ran toward them in the courthouse… Most of all he remembered the feeling of being bloodbent and how he felt his body come so close to death then pull away at the very last moment.

Aang shook his head in a feeble attempt to rid the feeling tight in his chest then rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger as he patted Appa's head with the other hand.

"You know where you're going, Buddy." He said under his breath then climbed into the saddle across from Sokka and Toph. "She still sleeping?" He asked in a soft and concerned tone.

"Yeah." Sokka said glancing away from her to look up at Aang.

"So, I've been thinking a lot about this and—well I was thinking back to earlier when I took Yakone's bending and I'm starting to worry that maybe Toph's bending loss isn't temporary."

"What?" He asked loudly, caught himself then lowered his voice. "Look Aang, It's been a long day, we're tired, you shouldn't read too much into it just yet."

"_Think_ about it. Toph could hardly move, you said so yourself."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you remember the day I took Ozai's bending?"

"How could I forget?"

"Remember how you taunted him, got in his face and he tried to fight back but he was too weak to stand?" Aang asked, feeling sadly right about his theory. Sokka was quiet as he began to see where his friend was going with this conversation.

Sokka hesitated to speak, but went on anyway. "Yes, but that doesn't prove anything. You bent his energy, not his blood. Still a subject I'm not too clear on, by the way."

"This isn't a joke, Sokka." He said seriously, the intensity in his voice increasing its volume.

"Hey, I'm just as worried about her as you are, but it's no use jumping to conclusions!" He snapped back, trying not to be too loud.

"Toph relies so much on her bending that without it she would become incredibly weak; debilitated even! I'm just preparing for what we might have to face, here!" Aang's blood was boiling; how could Sokka not see the possibilities?

"There's no use discussing this until Katara takes a look at her!" He said, letting his frustration get the better of him.

"You're not thinking about the consequences this could potentially have. Think of Lin! What will she do if her mom is no longer able to take care of her?!" Aang shouted.

Sokka moved toward him angrily. "Don't you dare say—" He started pointing at his face, but exhaled and cooled himself off long enough to not blow up at him. "You listen to me." He said sternly. "I am not going to sit here and take this right now. We're upset and a little on edge and we don't need another problem to pile on top of the mountain of garbage we already dealt with today. So you need to RELAX." He said and pushed Aang hard onto the wall of the saddle.

"Don't _push_ me, Sokka." He said through gritted teeth and got back in front of Sokka immediately wanting to unleash some of his aggression. He grabbed Sokka's shoulders and slammed him onto the base of the saddle, holding him down as his veins pulsed with rage. Sokka grabbed Aang's wrists and was about to push him off when something stopped them.

"What are you two sissy's fighting about?" Said the low, wavering voice of Toph as she gained consciousness.

Instantaneously, as if nothing even happened, the guys blew off their pseudo-fight and hurried to her side.

"Toph! Are you alright?" They asked simultaneously.

Taken aback, Toph furrowed her eyebrow. "I'm fine." She said, annoyed and tried to sit up, but lightheadedness took over again. "Woah…" She voiced and laid her head back on the cushion.

"Here, we stopped at the market and got you some juice." Sokka said as he grabbed a jar from his pack and brought it to her hand.

"Why?" She asked in her typical defiant way.

"Because you need fluids and sugar. It'll help with the dizziness."

"Fine." She said and took a sip. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic." Sokka responded, unenthused.

Toph chuckled and took a deep breath. "So I'm assuming we're on Appa."

"Yep. Heading to the island to get you checked out." Sokka said and looked out onto the orange horizon seeing Air Temple Island in the distance.

"What do you mean?" She asked seriously.

"What? Well, you—you—" He stammered, not wanting to explain her misfortune to her.

Toph started laughing a little. "I was kidding. Bet the look on your face was priceless though."

"Sokka squinted his eyes, but couldn't help but smile; she was acting almost normal. Aang smiled sadly as he watched her, then as if she sensed it, Toph spoke to him.

"You've been quiet over there, Twinkle Toes."

"Hm? Oh yeah. Sorry…" He muttered then let an awkward silence pass. "You—uh, you should try to bend again on your uniform. Maybe it's—"

"Aang…" She said in a low voice shaking her head.

"Just try. It might—"

"Just—don't…" She drank another sip of Lychee juice to hide the pain bubbling up inside. She did not want to talk about it, didn't want to face it yet and if they kept up the conversation she felt that her emotions may get the better of her.

"I'm sorry, I'm just—concerned."

"Yeah, well you're acting like I'm dying or something. I'm fine, so cut it out." She said getting frustrated.

"Toph…" Sokka said reassuringly and touched her shoulder to which she responded by yanking away. They all fell silent for a few moments, then Sokka spoke again. "You think you've got it bad. At least earthbending still exists. I'm a master of an art of that's been dead for decades; sword-bending."

They all sat again in silence for a moment until Toph burst out laughing to which both guys rightly followed. In that minute, everything was good again; it felt like old times…

"Thank you, Sokka. I needed that." She said through her laughter and punched his shoulder.

Appa roared, indicating that they were approaching the island.

"Sounds like we're getting close." Toph said and sat up finally, still feeling very woozy but hid it well. "Hey—um… About what happened with me at the courthouse… Can we not tell anyone that I—you know…"

"Was freaking out?" Sokka interjected.

"Fainted?" Aang said, chiming in.

"Yeah, none of that. It was embarrassing enough in front of you two." She said with a sheepish smile on her face.

"You got it, Chief." Aang said and patted her on the shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

[Lot's of momma/daughter feels in the next chapter. Stay tuned! It's almost done as well!

Trial and Error Part 6

Appa hovered in the open space between the temple and the main gate just before plopping onto the ground with a thud. Katara came running out from the courtyard of the ladies quarters as they landed, extremely relieved to see her husband at the reigns indicating that he was alright. Without delay, Aang flew off of his bison and received a running hug from his wife as he reached the ground. He hugged her tight, unbelievably happy to be home with his family. As they embraced he remembered how lucky he was to be alive and how grateful he was to have people to love and who love him.

"I was so worried…" She whispered, her face buried in his neck. Katara finally opened her eyes and looked up at Appa, the light of the day fading fast behind him. "What's Sokka doing here?" She asked as they pulled away. "Are we celebrating?"

Her smile was so bright and sincere that it nearly broke Aang's heart to say what he was about to say…

"Looks like he just broke the news to her..." Sokka said as he watched Katara cup her hand over her mouth. He watched as the four children ran from the main house, Lin and Tenzin in the lead.

"Are those the kids?" Toph asked eagerly as she strained to hear as much as her ears could handle.

"Yep. Lin'll be happy to see you."

"Let me get down there. I need to get to her." Toph said and tried to crawl across the saddle base to the side, but felt nauseated from the flying and extra movement, so she ended up groaning and trying not to throw up.

"Just take it easy. Aang will be back in a minute." Sokka patted her back, but his gaze was kept by his family. Aang's children gathered around him, hugging his legs and waist. Aang picked up Tenzin and held him close, but was interrupted by Lin tugging on his tunic and asking him a question. A small crowd of other acolytes also appeared on the scene, unsure of the goings on. Aang leaned in one more time to say something more to Katara, seeming to finalize her confusion. A terrified look swept over her face then she looked up at him and shared a few moments of worried eye contact. Aang put Tenzin down then he and Katara rushed toward Appa, him, and Toph. "Alright. It's time. Come on." He said and carefully helped her up and over the side of the saddle into Aang's outstretched arms. He gripped her at the waist and slowly slid her down the furry beast's body to the ground.

As her bare feet graced the cool ground, she shut her eyes trying to feel something; anything… The problem was still the same; there were no vibrations, none at all… She shook her head, realizing again just how serious this was for her.

"Oh Toph." Katara said, close to tears as she hugged her lightly. Sokka then jumped down and took his position as Toph's shoulder to lean on.

"Mom?" Lin said, a little confused as to what was going on.

"Where is she?" Top could hear her daughter running, but was still too disoriented to make out her location. The running stopped and Toph asked again more desperately. "Where _is she_?" Toph lowered herself to her knees and held out her arms. Everyone just watched her, except for Katara who was crying a little into her husband's shoulder, unable to bear it.

"Lin…?" Toph asked anxiously and reached out further. All of a sudden a body hit her with a thud and two short arms wrapped around her torso.

"I missed you all day, Chief." She happily stated.

Toph was still for a moment, but then all at once she was overcome with emotion. She wrapped her arms around her girl and pulled her close. She began to tear up, but held back for the sake of the kids, but still the lump in her throat was gaining strength. She sniffled as she felt a few wet streams trickle down her cheeks, hopefully hidden by her hair. Lin squeezed her a little tighter, but that proved to be a little too much for her current weak stomach to handle.

"Easy, kid." She responded quickly and loosened her daughter's grip so she wouldn't lose her lychee juice.

"Today was crazy. I can't wait to tell you—"

"Crazy?" Katara asked, forgetting about her sadness for the moment to shoot a glance at her youngest son who looked away like he had no idea what she was talking about.

"I thought I told you to be good." Toph said, holding onto her daughter's arms as she pulled away so she wouldn't lose contact with her.

"I—uh… I was good." Lin stammered guiltily.

Toph chuckled a little and sniffed again. "We'll talk about this later."

With the assistance of Sokka, she stood and leaned on him then wiped her eyes with her free hand. Everyone was silent.

"What?" She said lightheartedly. "I just got something in my eye." Typical Toph.

"Come on, let's get you into bed." Katara suggested and motioned for them to follow.

"Do you want me to carry you? " Sokka asked quietly.

"No." She scoffed. "I have to save whatever dignity I have left." She muttered and put her other arm around Aang's shoulder for support.

* * *

Lin's smile faded as she began to really notice her surroundings. Why couldn't her mom walk without Uncle Sokka? Why was Auntie Katara crying before? Why was she going to lie in bed?

"Mom! Where are you going?" Lin called out then ran to follow them.

"Well, boog, I need a doctor and Auntie Katara's the best around." She said on the go. Aang and Sokka would not let up for her to talk.

"But—Why…?" She asked genuinely confused.

"I—I can't really explain right now, but—"

"She'll have to tell you later, Lin. Why don't you go play with the boys for a little while?" Katara recommended strongly.

"Uck. No way. I played with them all day. Can't I just come with you?"

"Lin, we need your mom alone for a while, okay?" Katara said, trying not to lose her patience.

"But, mom, I—"

Toph stopped walking and let Lin catch up to her. "Listen, you need to stay out of our hair for a bit. I will see you later."

"But!" She protested, but got cut off again.

"That's enough!" Toph said assertively and continued on to the infirmary with her concerned friends, leaving Lin behind.

Tenzin walked up behind his friend and smiled.

"Come on!" He said playfully. "Let's play hide and shriek again. It's dark now. It'll be fun!"

"Leave me alone." She said bitterly and ran off, tears welling up in her eyes.

* * *

Katara opened the infirmary door and held it open as the guys and Toph hobbled inside.

"Okay, now rest her on the bed— gently!" She said and turned her back to retrieve one of her healing kits from a cabinet.

Together, Aang and Sokka lifted her and gently placed her on top of the comfortable bed.

"Ah, now that's the stuff." She exhaled. "Now could one of you do me a favor and hand me a trash can."

"Sure. What for?" Sokka asked as he handed her the waste bin.

"No reason." She said meekly then threw up into it.

Katara, Aang, and Sokka all expressed disgust and tried not to listen to it or pay attention.

After she seemed to be done dry heaving, Katara approached her.

"Feeling any better?" She asked in a calming tone.

"Eugh…" Toph groaned, her face pale and body weak.

"Well, I need to get started sometime, so it might as well be now." She said and set up her kit on the side table. "Do you think you can tell me what happened?"

"Yeah… I think I'm good now." She said slowly, holding out the trash can for someone to take it. Sokka reluctantly accepted the task and put it in the corner of the room for safe keeping. "Sorry you guys had to see that. I was trying to hold back in front of the kids…"

"Okay, I just need you to take me through what happened. Just the moment before you realized your bending was gone and then after." Katara said, avoiding the subject of puke.

"Well, Yakone had everyone in the courthouse under his grip. I couldn't move; he was holding me in one position. Before I knew it, he was moving me around against my will above the ground and forced me to grab the keys for his handcuffs. He made me unlock them, then—then I felt a lot of—pressure and—and I think that's when I blacked out—and fell, most likely…"

"And when you came to, you couldn't bend at all?"

"No. First I tried to feel the vibrations in the earth, but when that didn't work, I tried metal, then stone, but—nothing…" She trailed off and closed her eyes for a moment, recalling the whole episode. Katara nodded.

"And—what did it feel like—to you? Being bloodbent?"

"It was—uh…" Terrifying. "I—uh, couldn't control my body, I couldn't see because he lifted me off the ground. I—couldn't bend… When I woke up, I couldn't move right away, like my legs were locked or something. After a few minutes of being conscious, I could move, but I felt very—_very_ weak… Somehow I managed to stand up, but I—passed out—again…"

"You fainted?" Katara asked in disbelief.

"If we must call it that—yes." She sighed.

"Hm…" She hummed then streamed some water out of one of the sacks. "Let me go ahead and take a—oh…" Katara put the water back upon this realization.

"What's wrong now?" Toph asked impatiently.

"Well, I need to get your uniform off first." She said and glanced at the guys, then gave them a head nod that meant "Leave".

"OH!" Aang and Sokka voiced then began exiting the room awkwardly.

"Say no more." Aang stated.

"We're out of here."

"Good luck. We'll be in the kitchen."

"Yeah, if you need any help just—" Sokka said, then realized from the looks on their faces that that was a very wrong thing to say. "Nevermind..."

Karara rolled her eyes and Toph sighed loudly.

"Just go!" Both girls shouted at the same time to which Aang finally shut the door.

"Men…" Katara scoffed.

"Seriously!"

* * *

Lin sat alone by the water next to the caves where the sky bison slept, tossing rocks into it and making the glassy surface ripple. She was still very sad and confused; why didn't her mom want to see her? Tears were falling from her eyes but that was okay; no one was around. Or so she thought…

"Lin, are you crying?" asked a voice from behind her. She gasped and snapped into her horse stance upon being so startled.

"Oh— Don't you sneak up on me like that twinkle-toes junior!" She yelled, blinking the teardrops away, and then turned back to the water with her arms crossed. "I thought I told you to leave me _alone_."

"Uncle Sokka told me and Bumi that when girls say one thing, they actually mean the opposite." He stated innocently.

Lin shot him a look then rolled her eyes and stared back into the shining black water where the moon's glow danced on the ripples she made.

"Never mind…" He said and rubbed the back of his head, remembering that he wasn't supposed to say that to any girl ever. He walked up and stood next to her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She responded quickly.

"You _are_ crying" He said softly as he noticed a tear slide down her cheek.

"Am_ not_!" She shouted and sat down, her back facing him.

"Okay!" He followed her lead again and sat. "So—I thought you liked hide and shriek… Why don't you want to play?"

Lin sighed. "I just don't want to, okay?" She said, exasperated.

Tenzin looked down sadly. "I thought we had fun today… I guess not…" He used a gust of wind to get on his feet again. "My mom told me to find you so we could eat. You'd better hurry if you want some." He started to run back up to the house without her.

Upon the mention of food, Lin's stomach growled ferociously. She sighed and whipped around. "Tenzin, wait!"

* * *

While Katara conducted her examination, Aang and Sokka waited in the kitchen. Sokka sat on a stool at the kitchen table as Aang put on some tea and a pot of rice to alleviate their hunger. They were silent, unbearably so… This was the first time they were alone all day, and currently, after the almost fight they had earlier, tension hung heavy in the air.

Aang poured two cups of tea, sat at the table across from him then handed him one cup.

"Thanks." Sokka muttered as he held it in his hand. Another long awkward silence followed until it came to the point where Aang couldn't take it anymore.

"Sokka—" He started then shook his head. "I'm sorry…—about earlier… I—I just…"

"Hey, you and me both, buddy…" He said with disbelief that they actually acted that way.

"No. I really don't know what came over me…"

"I do." He said knowingly and cracked a sad smile. "We were both worried, and stupid and angry. That's all… Stress can do that to a guy."

"Not _me_." Aang responded solemnly with complete seriousness. "It can't happen to me…" Aang sipped on his tea, then set it down and rubbed his face with his hands, his fingers massaging his eyelids.

"Is everything going okay here, at home?"

"Yeah, yeah... Everything's great…" He shook his head again then smiled a little. "Tenzin—he—he's catching on so fast to all of the teachings. I'm so proud of him."

Sokka smiled genuinely then cleared his throat. "Is—uh… Is everything okay with you?"

Aang exhaled for a long time then spoke. "I guess I haven't been sleeping well. I've just been so nervous about this trial, and rightly so—apparently." He said resentfully and took a gulp of tea.

"Maybe or maybe it's from all of that caffeine you've been drinking." He said gesturing to the tea in his hand.

Aang squinted and let go of the cup. "Alright, you got me on that one."

The two of them talked a little while longer, finally having some downtime to unwind; they ate, Aang put on another pot for tea, and the house was quiet. They were just mentioning that the kids needed to be put to bed soon when Katara entered the kitchen. Sokka sat up straighter with anticipation.

"Oh, good. Toph will want some tea." Katara said and began fixing a plate of food for her patient.

"Well?" Sokka asked.

"Hm?"

"Has she made any progress?" Aang added.

Katara sighed and collected her thoughts first. "Well, she feels much better now, aside from being starving… Her dizziness has greatly reduced, her wounds are taken care of, and I relieved most of the muscle tension in her back and shoulders."

"And her condition…?" Aang asked seriously, hoping for good news. His wife sighed again, indicating that she had a theory, but not a sure fire answer.

"She is still very weak and unable to bend." She began. "Honestly, I've never seen a case like this before. It could be a fluke. There are no indications that this is more serious than an intense form of chi-blocking. If I'm correct, I believe that when Yakone bloodbent her, he somehow blocked her chi from within, which then locked those areas thereby preventing the energy from flowing."

"So, will she be able to bend again?" Sokka asked.

Well, if I'm right, which I hope I am, I am almost certain that this is temporary, and her bending will return in a couple days. Hopefully, with a few more healing sessions, she'll be back to normal in no time."

"Well, that's—good news…" Sokka said hesitantly.

"The most important thing for her health right now is to relax and stay away from stress and excitement. She needs time for self reflection and maintaining peace of mind. Who knows, her bending could return tonight. Regardless, for the next few days I will be keeping a close watch on her. We'll do healing sessions three times per day and I will try to un-block the zones near her pressure points; so to speak…" Katara said, receiving nothing but a hopeless silence from her husband and brother. "I know it's not certain, but I'm doing all I can. Unfortunately all we can do now is wait and help her out as much as we can, which reminds me; someone needs to stay with Toph each night until her condition improves, just in case anything—"

"I'll go." Aang said flatly and stood up to take the tray of food that Katara prepared. "If you wouldn't mind rounding up the kids—"

"Of course not." She said and kissed him lightly on the lips then smiled.

"No, no, no…" Sokka said standing. "I'll take this one."

"Its fine, Sokka. I really—"

"Look, If you really want to be up and down all night you can do it tomorrow, but for tonight, so help me, you two will get a good night's sleep." He said and took the tray from his brother-in-law's hands. Aang smiled and wrapped his arm around Katara's waist.

"Thank you."

"Hey, don't mention it. If you really want to make it up to me, you can feed me meat tomorrow. No wonder I never come over for dinner anymore, it's all vegetarian." He said as he disappeared into the hallway.

They chuckled then turned to each other, their arms keeping their bodies close.

"Alone at last." Katara said and smiled sweetly, causing her husband to reciprocate. He embraced her softly, letting his fingers gingerly fall through her hair. He pulled back and just as she went in for a kiss, he yawned, quite widely. Katara giggled. "Aw. Come on, world-saving guy, let's get you into bed."


	7. Chapter 7

Trial and Error Part 7

The house was dark and quiet; the only sounds to be heard were the wafting of the wind and the ocean crashing against the rocky island's side. All of the children and adults were lying sleepily in their beds; all but two. Toph was wide awake and her daughter Lin shared the same fate that evening, tossing and turning in bed without any inkling of rest.

Lin fidgeted under the sheets on the cot she slept on in Kya's room; she just couldn't understand why she wasn't allowed to see her mom for the rest of the night, or what made today different from any other. After staring at the ceiling for a good long while, she mustered up the courage to find out what was really going on. Lin glanced over at Kya, and after making sure she was asleep, she crept out of bed and into the hallway toward Tenzin and Bumi's room. She entered quietly, then climbed into Tenzin's bed and lightly shook him awake.

"Wake up." She whispered after a minute of him groaning for her to stop.

"What?" He asked finally as he reluctantly sat up.

"I can't sleep…"

"Try counting koala-sheep. That usually works for me." He responded sympathetically.

"It's not that… I—Do you know what's going on with my mom?" She asked even quieter than before. Tenzin sort of looked away from her and exhaled loudly. "I know those big ears you have heard _something_, airhead. _Tell me_."

"Okay, fine… When dad got back, I heard some of his story. He said something about the trial being 'nearly disastrous'. I think that's what he said, anyway."

"Get to the part about my mom." She pushed, her impatience wavering against Tenzin's extra useless speech.

"I asked my mom what happened, and she told me that Auntie Toph was very sick and needed rest and alone-time. Then she told me to behave and to keep you busy."

Lin punched him in the arm.

"OW! What did you do that for!?" He asked in his loudest whisper voice.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?! I could have been making her feel better!" She said then jumped down onto the floor.

"You're not going in there, are you?"

"Just go back to sleep, dumbdumb." She said in annoyance and left the room.

Lin crept down the hallway, past the room of Aang and Katara and searched for the infirmary where her mom was surely resting; but Toph was not sleeping. In fact, she was far from it… Toph lay in bed completely still, her blind eyes staring at the ceiling as this terrible day seemed to persist. Everyone else had gone to sleep; Sokka, who said he'd keep her company, passed out after only 10 minutes of getting comfortable in the lounge chair against the wall on her right side and was now snoring quite loudly. She wondered if Lin got to sleep okay and if she got to read a story before bed; once Lin learned how to read, Toph would have her read a story to her every night from the books that Katara gave her. She was a very good reader, unlike Toph for obvious reasons…

Katara's healing sessions were relaxing and did make her feel better, but nothing was changing; she still couldn't feel the earth… Because everyone was so worried, she was making a great effort to remain emotionless throughout this whole affair; she would crack jokes around the others and put on a face for them, but now that she had some real time to herself, it was harder to not face her reality. She needed to keep a level head, or else she would never pull through. After all, this was all only temporary…right…?

For the time being however, she lay awake unable to shake the wrenching feeling in the pit of her stomach. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing, just like Katara said, all the while concentrating on the space bracelet wrapped around her upper arm. She thought that maybe, if she concentrated hard enough, something would just click, but it wasn't…

Footsteps in the hallway caught her attention immediately and her heart rate quickened; who would be awake at this time of night? She didn't think Aang or Katara would come back in until morning, no acolytes stayed in this building, so who would that leave. For a brief moment she worried that it could be one of Yakone's men, coming to finish her for good. Toph was just about to shout to Sokka when she realized something as the footsteps grew closer. She knew them; short steps made by little feet, her daughter's feet that is. Toph sighed from relief and quietly calmed herself down.

"Mom?" Lin whispered and stuck her head into the room. "Are you in here?"

Toph smiled. "Yeah, I'm right here." If there was anyone who could make her feel better it was her daughter.

"Did I scare you?" Lin asked, hearing the nervousness in her mom's voice.

"Course not! Beifong's don't get scared!" Toph whispered excitedly.

Lin was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"You coming in or what?" Toph asked after not hearing any movement.

"I—Auntie Katara said that I wasn't allowed to go in there…" Lin said sadly.

"Is auntie Katara your momma?"

"No…"

"Then get your little butt into this bed." Toph said as she patted the sheets next to her.

"You got it, chief." Lin smiled and scurried over then jumped into the bed.

"Now, that's more like it." Toph said, and pushed some sheets back for Lin to join her. "Here, get under the covers with me."

Lin got in and snuggled in between the crook of her moms arm and body. Toph pulled her close; even though she couldn't see with her feet, she was at least able to feel.

"So, what is it? You can't sleep?"

"Nope…"

"Me neither, kid…" She kissed the top of Lin's head and exhaled. "Let me tell you, it is hard to fall asleep with that obnoxious snorting coming from the corner over there."

Sokka snored even louder right after she said that, which made them giggle. They laid in silence for a minute comfortably before Lin found the guts to ask about the day. She figured she's start out simple.

"Hey, mom?"

"Hm?"

"Why do we have to stay here tonight?"

Toph opened her mouth to speak, but she just ended up exhaling. "It's—complicated…"

"Like, how complicated? I just thought you were sick…?"

"Well—I am sort of sick…but—there's a little more to it than that…"

"Well—tell me. Please?" She asked insistently and sat up to face her mom.

Toph hesitated; did she really want to risk traumatizing her child? Would that be better than keeping her in the dark about all of this since she would be better soon anyways? Unfortunately, Toph had to realize that there was a possibility that she wouldn't get her bending back, and in that case Lin should be informed on what she might need to expect.

"Okay." Toph responded reluctantly. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to worry, got it?"

"Got it."

"I—" She paused for a long time, knowing she just needed to say it… "I—" Just say it! Her voice felt like it was trapped in her throat and that nothing could coax it out. Her heart pounded as the thought raced through her mind, over and over again, and couldn't build up enough nerve to say it. She felt that if she uttered the words to her daughter, the most important person in her life, than there would be no escaping reality; she worried that this would become all too real for her to handle and there would be no turning back. Just say it! "I lost my bending…" She mumbled.

"What?" Lin asked shocked and concerned.

"Auntie Katara didn't want me to tell you because she's doing everything she can to fix me, but I—I can't earthbend..." Toph said quietly and sighed. Surprisingly, her will to not lose control kept her mind on track with the conversation instead of emotions; for the time being…

Lin was stunned, but most of all, confused… She couldn't grasp the idea because, as far as she knew, only the Avatar was able to take bending away.

"But—but how? I thought that— how did that happen?" She stammered, unable to formulate one thought.

Toph sighed again and squeezed her daughter's hand as she recounted to Lin the events that transpired throughout the day and how this man, this _monster_, somehow hurt her in a way that no one quite understood. She told her everything, leaving out some of the more gruesome details involving blood and how Aang "put Yakone in his place" as she called it…

"This could mean a lot of things for us, kid…" She began after she finished telling her story. "I can't sense the vibrations in the earth anymore, so I can't really _see_ anything the way I used to be able to see, do you understand?"

"I understand." She responded sadly.

"And—and I won't be able to train you for a little while, but—"

"Aw… I totally forgot about that…" She whined.

"_But_, I'm sure if you ask Uncle Aang nicely, he would be happy to help train you. After all, he _did_ learn from the best." Toph smiled, hoping to lighten the mood, but didn't receive even a peep from her child. Lin just sat silently, staring into the dark shadows in between the ripples of the bed sheets. "Come on kid, don't leave me hangin'." Her lighthearted voice was weakening.

"I was—I was just thinking… Did it—" She took a moment to exhale then continued, "Did it hurt?—When he blocked your bending?"

"Yeah…" Toph said, feeling her emotions bubble up again. "And um—now it's sort of hard for me to move a lot, so—be gentle with me, okay? I know we like to play rough, but…" She trailed off and let her thought do the same.

"Is it going to be forever?" Lin asked meekly.

"Well, Auntie Katara doesn't seem to think so. She said that I could be back to normal in a few days; maybe even sooner if I take it easy. But that's no fun, huh?" She chuckled to herself, but when she again elicited no response, she continued. "In the meantime, we might have to stay here for a few days until I get better, so I need you to _behave_ and be a good girl so they don't get tired of us, alright?"

"Mhm…" Lin managed, but was wrought with a horrible feeling inside that made her feel like she was going to cry again… The echo of her mother's voice repeated inside her head; Beifong's don't cry… Even at this age, Lin hated crying and felt like a wuss every time she did, but this time was different and the cause was legitimate… "Momma?" She asked, her voice drowning in sorrow. "Is it okay to cry?"

Toph's heart broke as soon as she heard those words, and felt the all too familiar sentiment encompass her being.

"Of course it is." She said, holding back tears herself as she pulled her little eight-year old over her chest as she wept. "Shhh… It'll be okay."

"But _you_ don't cry…" Toph managed to decipher from Lin's quivering voice.

"Heh, not while you're lookin…" Toph mumbled and held her and squeezed her tight with every shaking sob but it was getting harder and harder not to break down... There came a point when the water welling up in her eyes was stinging for an escape and she just couldn't take it anymore. She pulled Lin back and faced her.

"Lin, listen to me." She began, hoping she could get through what she was about to say. "It is okay to cry but—sometimes you have to hide how you feel to make everyone else feel better. You have to be strong for those who can't be strong themselves... I have to do it all the time because of my job. Being the Chief of Police means that you have a lot of people counting on you… Right now, I have to be strong in place of your auntie and uncles who worry about _everything_, my officers and the city because they _need_ me." She paused and took a breath, desperately trying to hold back her tears. "Right now, I need you to be strong for _me_ because if you don't stop crying, I _will _start—and then no one will be the person who can get everyone through this… Can you do that for me?" She asked, barely making it through without losing it.

Lin wiped her nose and nodded, then realized she needed to say something so her mom would get the message. "I—I can. " She said, gasping for breath in between words. "I'm sorry…"

Toph sighed and hugged her again. "I just can't do this without you, babe. I'm counting on you."

"It's kind of like earthbending." Lin said quietly after she calmed down.

"What did you say?" Toph asked, wondering where her baby girl would go with this.

"You have to be strong—like a rock to move a rock, right?"

Toph smiled proudly but still felt like the waterworks were about to start. "Yes."

"It doesn't matter how you _feel_ about it, you still have to move the rock."

"Spoken like a master earthbender." Toph said and grasped Lin's little hand in hers.

Lin smiled then felt her mischievous side come out. "Now I'm a better earthbender than you."

Toph's mouth fell open; she couldn't believe Lin just said that, but she couldn't help but laugh. "Ouch! I think I may need a healer to fix that burn."

"I didn't mean it." She responded and giggled sheepishly, hoping she wouldn't get in trouble.

"Right… Even without my bending, I could still kick your little butt in a sparring match."

"I am going to be the greatest earthbender in the world—then no one can beat me."

"Nice try, kid. That title's already been taken." Toph said and yawned then motioned for her to get back under the covers. "Let's go to sleep before you get in trouble for your snarky comments."

Lin laughed and snuggled in once again. "I love you mom."

"Right back at ya, badgermole…" Toph said through another yawn.

They lay silently, Toph finally finding the drowsiness she had been searching for.

Sokka smiled and shifted in his chair; they woke him up somewhere in the middle of their conversation, but he decided not to interrupt. He never heard Toph talk like that before to anyone, including himself. Usually, if she needed to talk to someone, she would confide in him, but this was different; Toph never liked to talk about how she felt and this time is sounded more as if she was confessing, rather than just talking… He was glad to have heard it; to have gained a greater insight into the complex person she was on the inside. He closed his eyes again, feeling warm and satisfied.

"Mom?" Lin whispered out of the blue and stirred both Toph and Sokka.

"Mhm?" Toph responded sleepily.

"Was it scary?"

Next to the time she almost died as she clutched onto Sokka's hand for dear life the day they fought Ozai and his war balloons, "Yes… It was terrifying…"

Lin clutched Toph's torso and squeezed comfortingly.

Sokka frowned, but did not verbally respond. He figured it would be best to pretend he didn't hear. _Sweet Dreams_ he thought then let himself doze off again into a restless slumber.


	8. Chapter 8

Trial and Error Part 8

It had been 3 days since that day; the day of Yakone's trial where everything went wrong and Toph lost her bending… Her condition hadn't improved and she was losing hope that she would ever go back to normal; part of her felt like she never had hope to begin with, but she had to exhibit some kind of will to carry on, if not for her friends then for her daughter.

Toph made a valiant effort to stay cooped up in the new room she was moved to and she blatantly refused to get out of bed unless she had to use the restroom or bathe. She felt that if she tried to do anything, she would just make a fool of herself and that was the LAST thing she wanted… She already lost her bending; she didn't want to lose her dignity too… No one understood her; no one could possibly know what she was going through and she felt so alone…

On this day, Lin would train with Aang for the first time since the incident and though Toph suggested it, she felt as if an important bond she shared with her daughter was being ripped away. She thought about all of the other things she would lose if her bending didn't come back and sighed, her blind eyes staring at the ceiling of her quiet room as Katara's healing water caressed her skin.

The healing session was part of her daily routine now; in the morning, she would wake up, eat breakfast, have a healing session, take a nap, wake up, eat lunch, have a healing session, talk to her friends or Lin, then lay alone for a while before dinner and afterward have another healing session. At first, it was relaxing, but she soon grew tired of how mundane her existence became.

Her friends were also quite concerned for her well being and constantly encouraged her to get up and move around, though she promptly declined. But on this day, Katara insisted that she must get out of bed and go to the dining hall in order to eat. They argued of course and Katara stormed out with tears in her eyes and the conviction to let Toph rot in there by herself.

Katara just didn't seem to get it! It wasn't only her bending that was effected; she relied so much on her ability that she needed it to do ordinary things. Katara didn't _need_ waterbending to take care of herself, but Toph _needed_ earthbending. Without it, two of her senses, touch and sight, were completely altered; she always made due with not being able to see with her eyes, but now with her inability to feel the earth as an extension of herself, she was finally understanding the true meaning of what being blind was actually like. The fact that most of her bodily strength came from the energy she used earthbending also made her feel weaker than she had ever felt in her entire life. No one seemed to be looking at the big picture; if she ended up losing her bending permanently, what did that mean for the outcome of the rest of her life?

After a few minutes of self-meditation she sat up. She removed the covers and slowly slid her legs off the side of the bed then touched the floor with her bare feet. She pushed past the gut wrenching feeling of feeling nothing but the touch of smooth wood, and stood. She was lightheaded; this was the first time she stood by herself since she passed out at the courthouse three days prior. Once she stabilized herself, she took a few steps, her outstretched hands feeling for the wall; she wanted to open the window to get some fresh air. She thought she remembered hearing Katara open it before on the side she was on, but couldn't tell exactly where it was, so she ran her hands alongside the wall hoping to come across it. The problem was, she wasn't even close to the window; in fact, she was about to run straight into the dresser. She cursed the world as she stubbed her toe on the bottom of it then gritted her teeth to keep working on her self-given task; after all, if she couldn't do this one simple thing, how would she ever be able to take care of her own daughter…?

Though she was able to feel quite effectively with her hands, her feet seemed to get the better of her. She tripped on the waste bin and fell over it, catching herself with her hand and one of her elbows. She probably looked so foolish and pathetic, so useless and ineffective… Feebly maneuvering her body to the ground to sit, she began to cry… At least no one had to see that, she thought, making the conviction that she would stay in bed for the rest of the day.

Just outside the open door, Sokka stood watching her sadly as she made her attempt at redemption, looking away when she fell. He wanted so much to help her, but he just the same felt completely useless; he wanted to take her in his arms and promise her that everything would be okay, but he knew that she would just punch him and call him an idiot… Watching her go through so much pain caused sorrow to flood his being. In what he figured was in both of their best interests, Sokka remained unnoticed, knowing that Toph would have been extremely embarrassed if she knew he had been standing there. He stood there, careful not to make a sound as he waited for Toph, dejected and miserable, to get back into bed. It was only after she was comfortable and dry-eyed, that he decided to enter.

He knocked, seeming to startle her.

"Who's—"

"Don't worry. It's just me." He said reassuringly.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't hear you walk up." She said then laughed under her breath, "Great, now my hearing's on the fritz. What'll I lose next?"

"I—uh… I ran into my Katara in the kitchen. She said you two had a fight?" Sokka said, changing the subject.

"Yeah... Was she crying?"

"Like a baby."

Toph sighed, starting to feel bad for giving her friend so much trouble. "So, are you mad at me too? I _did_ make your sister cry."

"Are you kidding? She cries at everything. This'll blow over."

"That's what I said!" Toph responded excitedly, finally feeling like someone understood.

"So, what were you two fighting about?"

"Something about me being an ungrateful snail-leach, and how I need to get out of bed." Toph said and felt around for her breakfast food tray that she never finished. "Where's my food?" She asked with a hint of frustration when she couldn't find it.

Sokka picked up the tray and set it next to her, all the while pondering things in his mind.

"You know, it might not be such a bad idea."

"What?"

"Standing up, going outside, maybe trying to move around a little bit."

"Not you too… Forget it!"

"Why?"

"I'm still feeling dizzy."

"Come on, Toph."

"You're not going to force me to do something that I don't want to do." She snapped.

"We both know that you don't want to look foolish, but you aren't getting any better by lying around in bed all day."

Toph was quiet as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Just think about it. Aang said he was going to train Lin today, so I think you should go out and be there for her; listen, scold Aang for teaching her something you don't like… I don't know… It might make you feel better."

She sighed and scratched her forehead. "You're going back to work today aren't you?"

"Yeah…"

"Is that why you want me to get out of the house?"

"Not gonna lie, it crossed my mind" Sokka said with a bit of a chuckle.

For a few moments, she did not speak, but then she softened and inhaled calmly.

"Thanks for being here, Sokka. I know you've missed a lot of work for this. I know _I've _missed a lot of work because of this. Point is, you didn't have to and I really appreciate it." She said.  
"Hey, don't go all soft on me now. Until today, I was able to pass off the work onto my secretary, but there are some things now that only I can take care of, so yeah, I have to get back. Someone has to run this city in the absence of its chief." This elicited a small smile from Toph, but only seemed to help so much…

"I know everyone's been fighting, and worried, and scared, and everything, but—I think it's nice that we're all together again for once, don't you?" She asked in a way that implied nostalgia. Her eyes were watering up again, but she didn't really care.

Sokka smiled sadly. "Yes. We never spend any time together anymore. We're all too busy with work or kids or something… I guess that's what happens when you grow up… If anything, this week showed us that, no matter how crazy everyone is, we all still care for each other."

"Crummy circumstances though…"

"No kidding."

Toph sniffed then bowed her head to hide her teary eyes.

"Aw. Come here." Sokka said tenderly and pulled her in for a hug. "It'll be okay."

"I feel like an idiot." She said into his shoulder.

"You don't have to be strong all the time, you know. Like I said, all of us care about you so much and we just want to see you get through this. You have every right to be upset, and you shouldn't feel embarrassed about it." He said as he stroked the back of her head. "If any one of us was in your position, than you would do the same for us."

"What are you talking about, 'any of us'?" She asked as she pulled back. "That's only reserved for benders, sorry." She said seriously then smiled at him jokingly.

"Ooh. Low blow, Beifong. I don't even know why I bother. You seem _fine_ to me." Sokka said and stood.

She laughed under her breath and sniffed as she wiped her eyes. "Alright, now get outta here before I feel the need to punch you." She said, referring to all of the times that she felt overly emotional and used hitting as an act of affection.

"At least you're giving us warnings now. I think I have a permanent bruise on my arm thanks to you."

Toph laughed. Sokka was always so good at cheering her up.

"Well, I guess I'll talk to ya soon." She said after a moment.

"I'll be back; just not tonight." Sokka moved toward the door. "And don't think you distracted me. If it'll make you go outside, I'll come back every day and talk your ear off about politics until you just can't take it anymore."

Toph chuckled and crossed her arms. "I'll think about it, sheesh…"

They said their goodbyes and after Sokka closed her door her smile faded; though she was just joking around with him, he really made her think about how she was spending her time. For a good while she thought and thought about everything; her situation, her daughter, her outlook, and she came to the conclusion that now was definitely not the time to give up. Although she would never dare to admit it, Sokka, Katara, and Aang were right; she wasn't getting any better by feeling sorry for herself in her room all day. Toph always taught her daughter that words never solved any problems, action did, so what kind of example was she setting by literally doing nothing for hours on end?

A fiery streak burst inside of her and she felt empowered. Toph knew the layout of the island very well and surely she could visualize it in her head even though she wouldn't be able to see. She took a deep breath and sat up, then got out of bed. She pushed past the weakness, the light-headedness, and the nausea and stood tall, ready to face her new reality.

She tightly shut her eyes and imagined the island and every single detail she could manage to remember, then took a few steps. So far so good, she thought then smiled as her hand landed straight on the sliding door handle. And so she walked through the hall, down past the kitchen, and out into the courtyard where the sun warmed her face and bare arms. She listened intently, straining past the dull murmurs of acolytes in shock of her recovery, to hear her daughter's voice.

Now that two of her senses were messed up, her hearing was even more superhuman than it seemed before. It was a little ways away, but she heard the faint outline of a conversation going on between two children and a man. First she heard Tenzin shouting at _someone_ about being too rough with her attacks, and then Aang's voice followed with vague earthbending instruction.

"Yep. That's them alright." She said to herself and followed the sound of their voices. Toph laughed to herself when she heard Lin pipe up to argue against her sparring buddy and how he was a left-footed, lily livered, turtle-duck. She was getting close to them and as she listened to the children argue and Aang working tirelessly to stop it, she smiled and shook her head as she stood a few yards away, setting her hands on her hips.

Aang looked up from the argument, about ready to finish it off for good earth-bending style to teach the kids a lesson about actions speaking louder than words (or something along those lines), when he saw Toph standing close to them. He smiled warmly and exhaled all of his frustration away, knowing exactly what he should do next.

"Hey, kids?" He said kneeling down to their level. "Pipe down for a second and look who it is."

"Thought you could use some help whipping these little brats into shape!" She called.

"Mom!" Lin's face lit up as she forgot all of her childish anger towards Tenzin and ran to her mother. "You're up!" She shouted as she jumped into her outstretched arms.

Aang and Tenzin were quick to follow.

"Are you feeling better, Auntie?" Tenzin asked excitedly.

"Of course she feels better! She wouldn't be outside if she didn't feel better." Lin snapped and hugged her mom's waist tightly.

"Yeah, junior. I'm feeling much better." She said, laughing at her daughter's abrasiveness.

"And your bending?" Aang interjected with hopefulness in his voice. There was a shared silence for a moment which she then covered with a smile.

"I just came to observe your lesson. I want to make sure your not teaching my little prodigy something I wouldn't."

"Come on then, mom. You can listen to me kick Tenzin's butt!" Lin teased and ran back to the sparring circle with him following shortly behind.

"Not this time!" A small shift in the earth appeared in front of his feet and he fell to the ground, but promptly lifted himself up with a gust of air. "Ugh! Why do you have to be so difficult!?" Tenzin yelled after her.

Aang and Toph laughed then shook their heads; _those kids…_

"So, what made you change your mind?" Aang asked and began to walk forward with her. She grabbed his arm like she used to do when they would venture into an area where she couldn't see with earthbending, and used him as her guide.

What made Toph change her mind and get out of bed that day? It wasn't that she wanted to face her fears. She was still terrified; for the first time she was facing the world that was beyond her control with a new perspective and it was strange. It made her feel so insignificant, so fragile, and she was quite uncomfortable with the fact that she might have to accept this opposite life. Then there was Lin… If it weren't for her, Toph would have to reason, no incentive at all to keep moving forward. Her little Lin represented all that she was; her greatness, her passed-on bending gift, and if things continued the way they were, Lin would follow in her momma's footsteps and live up to that destiny. If she stayed in bed, given up to her will, her daughter would never reach her full potential. Toph put all of herself into raising Lin; she was her everything, her life…

"I guess I just found my strength." She said honestly.


	9. Chapter 9

Trial and Error Part 9

After a long day of walking around more than she had been, eating more than usual, and even roughhousing a little with the kids, Toph lay in bed that night feeling accomplished with how far she came in just a few short hours. After her energy began to return, she felt immensely better and was much more active than she had been in days, but she still couldn't bend. So, while she rested in bed in the middle of the night, waiting for the elusive sleep to come to her, she couldn't help but wonder why her bending wouldn't return, considering the massive improvement she made in her health.

She sighed and turned a little bit toward Aang's direction wondering if he was awake. Sokka had to go back to the city earlier that day, so after a long back and forth conversation about whether or not Toph would be alright sleeping by herself that night, she finally agreed to let Aang sleep on the chair in case she needed anything. They hadn't really had much time to talk alone since everything happened, so she was interested in his opinion on it all. After all, even though she hated the connotation of his title, he was the avatar and he was bound to have some sort of idea or perhaps advice on what possibilities were in store for her. She listened for any signs that he could be awake; with Sokka it was easy to tell because if he was asleep, no doubt about it he was snoring, but Aang was quiet as a mouse. Finally, she just built up the motivation to say something.

"You asleep?" she asked in a normal tone and waited eagerly for a response.

"Not even a little." He said after a moment.

Toph snickered. "Well, you had me fooled. Course, I've gotten used to Sokka's incessant snoring now."

Aang chuckled along with her. "He does sound like a snorting hog-monkey, doesn't he?"

"Worse." They laughed, but both felt the emptiness of this conversation. The topics on their minds were much more serious…

A silence passed.

"So… We—we never really talked—about what happened, I mean…" Toph said trudging uncharacteristically forward with a conversation that she wasn't sure if she actually wanted to have.

"What do you mean?" He asked, not sure where she was going with this.

"Well, I heard Sokka's version about what happened at the courthouse but you didn't tell me yours. I obviously haven't had the chance to hear your statement."

"You heard the story from Sokka, I'm sure we don't need to go over it again. Besides, you don't need to be working right now, you're still recovering."

"I'm supposed to be protecting this city, disabled or not. This is part of my job, Aang. I need to go over it again, and again, and again so I am able to best understand how to deal with those criminals. I don't even know what they did with that witness Xin."

"He escaped from custody after the black out."

"See, I need to know these things. So, what did you write in your statement?"

"Nothing. Just that I followed Yakone and took his bending away. That's it."

"Don't get me wrong, that scumbag deserved it, but you can't just take someone's bending away without a reason. Times have changed; people are much more skeptical about the Avatar's judgment than they used to be."

"I had a reason." Aang responded defensively.

"What was it then?"

"You know it already."

"Enlighten me." She persisted.

Aang sighed and shook his head, pushing on the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "My _personal_ reasons have nothing to do with it. Fact is, he endangered countless civilians, exploited his skills to torture people, and the council found him guilty of all charges. I only did what I saw fit." He retorted.

Toph recognized the particular tone in his voice and became quite skeptical herself.

"Something happened and I want to know what." She pried.

"It's not important."

"Obviously it's important enough to try and hide from me! I've been a human lie detector for over 30 years; don't you think I can hear it in your voice by now?"

"Toph…"

"Just say it already!"

"He almost killed me!" He said exasperated, but was careful not to be too loud in interest of not waking anyone else. This unexpected response completely silenced Toph who was feeling a mixture of concern and shock. "He twisted me up and tossed me around like a rubber band then just as I was sure I was going to die, my survival instinct kicked in and my past lives did the rest…" Aang stood and walked to the other side of the room in frustration. "I took away his bending because he threatened my life and if I hadn't stopped him, he would have overpowered me and I would be gone… So, when I made my statement at the station, I did not say that he attacked me. I do not want to become some kind of martyr. It's similar to you not wanting anyone to know that you lost your bending—we are leaders that so many people look up to, so why would we want them to think of us any other way than what we are a majority of the time?" She was still quiet, so he continued, "I don't want to hear any more from you about getting my accurate statement because, as far as I'm concerned, what I did was an act for the welfare of the people, and nothing more."

Toph's mouth hung open with bewilderment; she wasn't concerned at all about his statement anymore, but for his well-being as her friend. "Why—why didn't you tell me?"

"As soon as you awoke we were busy trying to find a way to solve your problem and take care of _you_, so it didn't occur to me that my incident mattered enough to mention, especially to you. You're already dealing with enough problems that man caused you, there's no need for me to recount my experience, however terrifying it may have been, especially when you are the one who is actually put out, not me."

Toph didn't know what to say. She didn't realize until this moment just how considerate her friend was and how much of a burden he carried every day. He almost _died_. What would then happen to his family? The Acolytes? The ancient airbending teachings? He had a duty to the world and a duty to his nation to carry on. And Toph, she was being so selfish compared to him and she didn't see it until this very moment.

"Aang…" She stared slowly and shook her head. "I—I'm so sorry… If I had known—"

"Don't worry about it…"

"No. I'm truly—sorry… I've been so wrapped up in my own stuff that I was totally ignoring everyone else's feelings about it. I—I should have asked…"

Aang exhaled loudly. "Well, thanks for that, but it's really unnecessary. Your mind is on one track right now. I get it."

"I'm still sorry."

"Well, you shouldn't be. If he did to me what he did to you, I would be exactly the same way." Aang said bitterly as he imagined what it would be like to be in her situation.

Toph chortled, "No you wouldn't. You're _way_ nicer than me."

"I guess you are right about that." he said through a sigh and a smile that she managed to put on his face.

"I'm not really good at this sort of thing, but—are—are you alright? I know _my_ dreams have been messing with my head the last few days. It's the same one every night. All it is, is Yakone's stupid evil laugh and complete darkness. Anyway… You've always been one to have crazy dreams, so—are you having them too?" Toph asked sincerely.

"Yes… In fact, I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping again…" He rubbed his eyes hard and exhaled. "It hasn't been this bad in years…"

"Then why did you _insist_ on sleeping on that chair tonight? There's no way you would get a good night's sleep on that thing, unless you're Sokka that is." She said with a laugh.

"Because I have something to talk to you about and I needed to get you alone in order to go about it." He said bluntly, catching Toph off guard.

"Oh. Well, what is it?" She asked, worried by the seriousness in his voice,

Aang collected his thoughts for a moment and then began. "Every day since the trial, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what could have possibly happened when Yakone bloodbent you to cause this bending loss. I've thought back to past experiences of being chi-blocked and bloodbent, I've spoken with Katara, other medical professionals, herbalists, and even chi-blockers to try to understand what went wrong. What I found out from one chi-blocker I encountered really made me think. He said that the human body is full of pressure points and it is very simple to cause fatalities by utilizing those weaknesses of the body. That made me wonder why Yakone twisted me up instead of bloodbending a fatal attack at those points to immediately finish the job. It would have killed me faster; it would have taken much less effort; so, why did he not go about it in that way? Then it occurred to me that maybe his technique didn't involve chi-blocking at all, and that he had absolutely no solid knowledge of the interworking of the human body; all he understood was his skill's power."

"Get to the point, Twinkletoes." Toph said, sullenly, fearing that this conversation would end with hopelessness.

"I—I don't think that your condition has to do with chi-blocking so much. It's more than that. When a person is chi-blocked, the effects wear off within minutes, not days, and I am fairly certain that if Katara's theory was actually the case, you would have been better by now."

Toph exhaled, anxious about all of the information that was now buzzing inside her head. "So…you're saying that—that you think this is…permanent?" She asked slowly, dread clouding her voice.

Aang slumped down hopelessly. "Unfortunately, yes… That's what I'm inclined to believe…"

Toph shook her head, reverting back to denial again… She held her head with her hands and felt her heart race. "No… No, NO! This can't happen. I _have_ to get my bending back! I can't live without it!" She said urgently. "There has to be _something_, ANYTHING we could try."

Aang was quiet; he had no idea what else to say or do… His eyes began to water uncontrollably and he clenched his teeth and fists. "I—I don't know what to do… I'm—"

"Don't you dare say I'm sorry! I don't want to hear it! I want to hear solutions! You're the _Avatar_! You have to figure this out, for me—for Lin!" Toph said desperately. "I know that this is not your burden to bear, but you're the AVATAR, for crying out loud! You have to do something about this! Only the avatar is supposed to be able to take people's bending away so you _have_ to figure out how he did it!"

Her words kept ringing in his ears with the phrase "you're the AVATAR" and he felt more useless than he ever felt in his whole life. He was in the middle of uttering another weak-willed apology to his friend when that phrase struck a new chord in his brain. I'm the avatar, he thought.

Than he said it out loud. "I'm the _avatar_."

"I think we've established that Aang, but we have not established what we are going to do about—"

"No, no, no, Toph—" he said, a smirk rising from the side of his mouth. "I might be onto something."


End file.
